NAME¶
XML::NamespaceSupport - a simple generic namespace support class
SYNOPSIS¶
use XML::NamespaceSupport;
my $nsup = XML::NamespaceSupport->new;
# add a new empty context
$nsup->push_context;
# declare a few prefixes
$nsup->declare_prefix($prefix1, $uri1);
$nsup->declare_prefix($prefix2, $uri2);
# the same shorter
$nsup->declare_prefixes($prefix1 => $uri1, $prefix2 => $uri2);
# get a single prefix for a URI (randomly)
$prefix = $nsup->get_prefix($uri);
# get all prefixes for a URI (probably better)
@prefixes = $nsup->get_prefixes($uri);
# get all prefixes in scope
@prefixes = $nsup->get_prefixes();
# get all prefixes that were declared for the current scope
@prefixes = $nsup->get_declared_prefixes;
# get a URI for a given prefix
$uri = $nsup->get_uri($prefix);
# get info on a qname (java-ish way, it's a bit weird)
($ns_uri, $local_name, $qname) = $nsup->process_name($qname, $is_attr);
# the same, more perlish
($ns_uri, $prefix, $local_name) = $nsup->process_element_name($qname);
($ns_uri, $prefix, $local_name) = $nsup->process_attribute_name($qname);
# remove the current context
$nsup->pop_context;
# reset the object for reuse in another document
$nsup->reset;
# a simple helper to process Clarkian Notation
my ($ns, $lname) = $nsup->parse_jclark_notation('{http://foo}bar');
# or (given that it doesn't care about the object
my ($ns, $lname) = XML::NamespaceSupport->parse_jclark_notation('{http://foo}bar');
DESCRIPTION¶
This module offers a simple to process namespaced XML names (unames) from within
any application that may need them. It also helps maintain a prefix to
namespace URI map, and provides a number of basic checks.
The model for this module is SAX2's NamespaceSupport class, readable at
http://www.megginson.com/SAX/Java/javadoc/org/xml/sax/helpers/NamespaceSupport.html.
It adds a few perlisations where we thought it appropriate.
METHODS¶
- •
- XML::NamespaceSupport->new(\%options)
A simple constructor.
The options are "xmlns", "fatal_errors", and
"auto_prefix"
If "xmlns" is turned on (it is off by default) the mapping from
the xmlns prefix to the URI defined for it in DOM level 2 is added to the
list of predefined mappings (which normally only contains the xml prefix
mapping).
If "fatal_errors" is turned off (it is on by default) a number of
validity errors will simply be flagged as failures, instead of
die()ing.
If "auto_prefix" is turned on (it is off by default) when one
provides a prefix of "undef" to "declare_prefix" it
will generate a random prefix mapped to that namespace. Otherwise an undef
prefix will trigger a warning (you should probably know what you're doing
if you turn this option on).
If "xmlns_11" us turned off, it becomes illegal to undeclare
namespace prefixes. It is on by default. This behaviour is compliant with
Namespaces in XML 1.1, turning it off reverts you to version 1.0.
- •
- $nsup->push_context
Adds a new empty context to the stack. You can then populate it with new
prefixes defined at this level.
- •
- $nsup->pop_context
Removes the topmost context in the stack and reverts to the previous one. It
will die() if you try to pop more than you have pushed.
- •
- $nsup->declare_prefix($prefix, $uri)
Declares a mapping of $prefix to $uri, at the current level.
Note that with "auto_prefix" turned on, if you declare a prefix
mapping in which $prefix is undef(), you will get an automatic
prefix selected for you. If it is off you will get a warning.
This is useful when you deal with code that hasn't kept prefixes around and
need to reserialize the nodes. It also means that if you want to set the
default namespace (ie with an empty prefix) you must use the empty string
instead of undef. This behaviour is consistent with the SAX 2.0
specification.
- •
- $nsup->declare_prefixes(%prefixes2uris)
Declares a mapping of several prefixes to URIs, at the current level.
- •
- $nsup->get_prefix($uri)
Returns a prefix given an URI. Note that as several prefixes may be mapped
to the same URI, it returns an arbitrary one. It'll return undef on
failure.
- •
- $nsup->get_prefixes($uri)
Returns an array of prefixes given an URI. It'll return all the prefixes if
the uri is undef.
- •
- $nsup->get_declared_prefixes
Returns an array of all the prefixes that have been declared within this
context, ie those that were declared on the last element, not those that
were declared above and are simply in scope.
- •
- $nsup->get_uri($prefix)
Returns a URI for a given prefix. Returns undef on failure.
- •
- $nsup->process_name($qname, $is_attr)
Given a qualified name and a boolean indicating whether this is an attribute
or another type of name (those are differently affected by default
namespaces), it returns a namespace URI, local name, qualified name tuple.
I know that that is a rather abnormal list to return, but it is so for
compatibility with the Java spec. See below for more Perlish alternatives.
If the prefix is not declared, or if the name is not valid, it'll either die
or return undef depending on the current setting of
"fatal_errors".
- •
- $nsup->undeclare_prefix($prefix);
Removes a namespace prefix from the current context. This function may be
used in SAX's end_prefix_mapping when there is fear that a namespace
declaration might be available outside their scope (which shouldn't
normally happen, but you never know ;). This may be needed in order to
properly support Namespace 1.1.
- •
- $nsup->process_element_name($qname)
Given a qualified name, it returns a namespace URI, prefix, and local name
tuple. This method applies to element names.
If the prefix is not declared, or if the name is not valid, it'll either die
or return undef depending on the current setting of
"fatal_errors".
- •
- $nsup->process_attribute_name($qname)
Given a qualified name, it returns a namespace URI, prefix, and local name
tuple. This method applies to attribute names.
If the prefix is not declared, or if the name is not valid, it'll either die
or return undef depending on the current setting of
"fatal_errors".
- •
- $nsup->reset
Resets the object so that it can be reused on another document.
All methods of the interface have an alias that is the name used in the original
Java specification. You can use either name interchangeably. Here is the
mapping:
Java name Perl name
---------------------------------------------------
pushContext push_context
popContext pop_context
declarePrefix declare_prefix
declarePrefixes declare_prefixes
getPrefix get_prefix
getPrefixes get_prefixes
getDeclaredPrefixes get_declared_prefixes
getURI get_uri
processName process_name
processElementName process_element_name
processAttributeName process_attribute_name
parseJClarkNotation parse_jclark_notation
undeclarePrefix undeclare_prefix
VARIABLES¶
Two global variables are made available to you. They used to be constants but
simple scalars are easier to use in a number of contexts. They are not
exported but can easily be accessed from any package, or copied into it.
- •
- $NS_XMLNS
The namespace for xmlns prefixes, http://www.w3.org/2000/xmlns/.
- •
- $NS_XML
The namespace for xml prefixes, http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace.
TODO¶
- add more tests
- optimise here and there
AUTHOR¶
Robin Berjon, robin@knowscape.com, with lots of it having been done by Duncan
Cameron, and a number of suggestions from the perl-xml list.
COPYRIGHT¶
Copyright (c) 2001-2005 Robin Berjon. All rights reserved. This program is free
software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as
Perl itself.
SEE ALSO¶
XML::Parser::PerlSAX